Background: Etiology of congenital heart defects (CHDs) are complex and possibly lies within the interaction of environmental exposures and inherited factors. Lack of information about risk factors for malformations in cardiovascular development impeded the prevention of CHDs. Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate the environmental risk factors of CHD among Bangladeshi population.

Methodology: It was a case control study, conducted from July 2018 to July 2019 in Paediatric Cardiology department of Dhaka Shishu (Children) Hospital. Parents of the children with CHD visiting the out-patient department of Dhaka Shishu Hospital was considered as Case. Control was taken from parents of the children who don’t have congenital heart disease visited other out-patient departments. Data was collected by face-to-face interview using a structured questionnaire containing all the variables of interest and analyzed by using SPSS version 21.

Results:  Most of the respondents were from rural area both in case (86.9%) and control (80%) group and CHD was found significantly higher in rural population (p<0.05). Consanguinity was present in 8.9% in case and CHD was found significantly higher among children born to consanguineous parents (p<0.05). Most of the mother had completed primary level of education in case (65.4%), 11.9% mother was illiterate in case group. CHD was found significantly higher among illiterate mothers (p<0.05). Most of the respondents belonged to lower and lower middle class (83.1% & 75.7% in case and control group respectively) and CHD was found significantly higher among lower and lower middle class population (p<0.05). CHD was significantly higher who exposed to passive smoking (p<0.05). Among the cases 22.7% had maternal stress and CHD was found significantly higher among mothers with stress (p<0.05). No significant association was found between maternal drug use and infection during pregnancy with CHD (P<0.05).

Conclusions: A significant risk of having CHD have found among illiterate mothers from rural areas with  low and lower middle class socioeconomic status having consanguineous marriage, exposed to passive smoking and stress.

TBA